India's Vishwanathan Anand finally resolved all doubts as to his right to be called World Champion with a resounding match victory over his great rival Russian Vladimir Kramnik. Played in Bonn, Germany during October and early November, the 12-game match was virtually decided after Anand won the sixth game to take a 4½ - 1½ lead into the second half. A three-point deficit had never been surmounted in over 100 years of World Championship matches, and so it proved here. Kramnik did recover his strength and put up a fight in the second half, stopping the rot and putting Anand under severe pressure in ninth game, while winning the tenth to prolong the match. However, Anand easily drew the eleventh game to win the match and undisputed title of World Champion with a final score of 6½ - 4½.
The secret to Anand's victory was a daring opening repertoire – deviating from his usual 1 e4 to play 1 d4 as White, which avoided Kramnik's most comfortable defences. But the masterstroke was seeking unbalanced, complicated positions with Black, taking the fight to his opponent even at the risk of a serious opening disadvantage. The strategy worked like a dream, with Anand winning with Black in games three and five in the ultra sharp Meran Variation of the Slav Defence. Today's game is the first of those wins.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4
The Meran Variation, leading to highly tactical play at some risk for Black. 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 axb5 12. exf6 gxf6 13. O-O Qb6 14. Qe2 Bb7!
Anand's brilliant prepared novelty – sacrificing the b-pawn to accelerate his king-side counter-attack down the g-file. Castling is for wimps! 15. Bxb5 Bd6 16. Rd1 Rg8 17. g3 ---
A significant concession on the light-squares but alternatives like 17 Rxd4 Rxg2+! 18 Kxg2 Qxd4 and 17 Bd3 Ne5 18 Be4 d3! show White has no easy answers. 17 --- Rg4 18. Bf4 Bxf4 19. Nxd4!? ---
Kramnik takes up the challenge and sacrifices a piece to breakthough on d7 with enormous complications. However 19 Rxd4 may have proved sounder e.g. 19 ...0-0-0 (19 ... Bxf3 20 Qxf3 Qxd4 21 Rd1! wins for White) 20 Rad1 Bxf3 21 Qxf3 Qxb5 22 Qxg4 with rook and pawn for two pieces and a much safer king. Anand's sang froid in the face of White's attack is breathtaking. 19. --- h5! 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Rxd7 Kf8 22. Qd3 Rg7!
Returning the piece to allow his king to reach safety – and incidentally opening the g-file... 23. Rxg7 Kxg7 24. gxf4 Rd8 25. Qe2 Kh6 26. Kf1 Rg8 27. a4?! ---
After this Black's attack just grows in strength, but you can hardly blame White for not finding 27 Rc1 Bg2+ 28 Ke1 Bh3 29 f5! Rg1+ 30 Kd2 Qd4+ 31 Bd3 Qxb2+ 32 Rc2 when Black must take the perpetual check. 27. --- Bg2+ 28. Ke1 Bh3!
Redirecting the bishop to strafe the white king from a new diagonal. 29. Ra3 Rg1+ 30. Kd2 Qd4+ 31. Kc2 Bg4 32. f3 Bf5+ 33. Bd3? ---
Allowing an instant win which is the subject of today's diagram. With both players under severe time pressure Black also misses the mating finish in favour of a longer route to victory. 33. --- Bh3? 34. a5 ---
Hoping to give up his queen and use the passed pawn to save himself, but it is one tempo too slow... 34. --- Rg2 35. a6 Rxe2+ 36. Bxe2 Bf5+ 37. Kb3 Qe3+ 38. Ka2 Qxe2 39. a7 Qc4+ 40. Ka1 Qf1+ 41. Ka2 Bb1+
Black catches the pawn after 41...Bb1+ 42 Kb3 Qxf3+ 43 Kb4 Qxf4+ 44 Kc3 Be4 so with the time control reached White resigns. An incredible game.
Anand defeats Kramnik
Problem: Black to play and win.
India's Vishwanathan Anand finally resolved all doubts as to his right to be called World Champion with a resounding match victory over his great rival Russian Vladimir Kramnik. Played in Bonn, Germany during October and early November, the 12-game match was virtually decided after Anand won the sixth game to take a 4½ - 1½ lead into the second half. A three-point deficit had never been surmounted in over 100 years of World Championship matches, and so it proved here. Kramnik did recover his strength and put up a fight in the second half, stopping the rot and putting Anand under severe pressure in ninth game, while winning the tenth to prolong the match. However, Anand easily drew the eleventh game to win the match and undisputed title of World Champion with a final score of 6½ - 4½.
The secret to Anand's victory was a daring opening repertoire – deviating from his usual 1 e4 to play 1 d4 as White, which avoided Kramnik's most comfortable defences. But the masterstroke was seeking unbalanced, complicated positions with Black, taking the fight to his opponent even at the risk of a serious opening disadvantage. The strategy worked like a dream, with Anand winning with Black in games three and five in the ultra sharp Meran Variation of the Slav Defence. Today's game is the first of those wins.
1. d4 d5
2. c4 c6
3. Nf3 Nf6
4. Nc3 e6
5. e3 Nbd7
6. Bd3 dxc4
The Meran Variation, leading to highly tactical play at some risk for Black.
7. Bxc4 b5
8. Bd3 a6
9. e4 c5
10. e5 cxd4
11. Nxb5 axb5
12. exf6 gxf6
13. O-O Qb6
14. Qe2 Bb7!
Anand's brilliant prepared novelty – sacrificing the b-pawn to accelerate his king-side counter-attack down the g-file. Castling is for wimps!
15. Bxb5 Bd6
16. Rd1 Rg8
17. g3 ---
A significant concession on the light-squares but alternatives like 17 Rxd4 Rxg2+! 18 Kxg2 Qxd4 and 17 Bd3 Ne5 18 Be4 d3! show White has no easy answers.
17 --- Rg4
18. Bf4 Bxf4
19. Nxd4!? ---
Kramnik takes up the challenge and sacrifices a piece to breakthough on d7 with enormous complications. However 19 Rxd4 may have proved sounder e.g. 19 ...0-0-0 (19 ... Bxf3 20 Qxf3 Qxd4 21 Rd1! wins for White) 20 Rad1 Bxf3 21 Qxf3 Qxb5 22 Qxg4 with rook and pawn for two pieces and a much safer king. Anand's sang froid in the face of White's attack is breathtaking.
19. --- h5!
20. Nxe6 fxe6
21. Rxd7 Kf8
22. Qd3 Rg7!
Returning the piece to allow his king to reach safety – and incidentally opening the g-file...
23. Rxg7 Kxg7
24. gxf4 Rd8
25. Qe2 Kh6
26. Kf1 Rg8
27. a4?! ---
After this Black's attack just grows in strength, but you can hardly blame White for not finding 27 Rc1 Bg2+ 28 Ke1 Bh3 29 f5! Rg1+ 30 Kd2 Qd4+ 31 Bd3 Qxb2+ 32 Rc2 when Black must take the perpetual check.
27. --- Bg2+
28. Ke1 Bh3!
Redirecting the bishop to strafe the white king from a new diagonal.
29. Ra3 Rg1+
30. Kd2 Qd4+
31. Kc2 Bg4
32. f3 Bf5+
33. Bd3? ---
Allowing an instant win which is the subject of today's diagram. With both players under severe time pressure Black also misses the mating finish in favour of a longer route to victory.
33. --- Bh3?
34. a5 ---
Hoping to give up his queen and use the passed pawn to save himself, but it is one tempo too slow...
34. --- Rg2
35. a6 Rxe2+
36. Bxe2 Bf5+
37. Kb3 Qe3+
38. Ka2 Qxe2
39. a7 Qc4+
40. Ka1 Qf1+
41. Ka2 Bb1+
Black catches the pawn after 41...Bb1+ 42 Kb3 Qxf3+ 43 Kb4 Qxf4+ 44 Kc3 Be4 so with the time control reached White resigns. An incredible game.
0-1
Solution: 1 ... Bxd3 2 Rxd3 (2 Qxd3 Rg2+ mating) Qc4+ 3 Kd2 (3 Rc3 Qxe2+) Qc1#.